Brief aan de Nederlandsche Etsclub Possibly 1890 - 1897

This letter, penned by Wally Moes to the Dutch Etching Club, is an artifact rich in symbolism. Note the carefully inscribed numbers and prices alongside titles like “Singing Children” and “Interior.” These aren’t mere business notations; they reflect the universal language of value and worth. Consider how commerce and art have intertwined across time. Similar motifs appear in Renaissance merchant portraits, where balance sheets symbolize prosperity and status. Just as a saint's halo signifies divinity, here, Moes uses monetary annotations to consecrate her art, imbuing it with tangible worth. The act of pricing art touches on collective anxieties around commodification. Is art diminished when assigned a monetary value? Moes's letter prompts us to reflect on the psychological dance between artistic creation and economic exchange, a tension that continues to shape our relationship with art today.